Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-08-24

him as ballot-box stuffer, and re-
calling damaging facts in his
New York history. 1t was
this assassination which caused
the organization of the vigilance COM
mittee OF 1856. This reminds me
that correspondent OF a Philadel-
phia paper n short time since made
some of the widest assertions mag
Unable about this committee. 1t de-
picted its members as cut-throats and
bloodthirsty men, who used the COM
mittee as an engine of personal re-
venge; that all a member had to do
was to denounce his enemy to the
committee, and forthwith he was exc
cuted. No doubt many bad men hast
ened to shelter themselves from dan
ger by joining the committee. But
its numbers embraced many of the
best and foremost men of the city.
All, or the great bulk, of the leading
merchants of San Francisco were act
i've members, and some OF the most
conspicuous citizens of the State at
the present time were at its head
VIM. 7. Coleman was its preside mt,
and to state that is all that is neces-
sary to show that the correspondent OF
the Philadelphia paper was utterly iig-
norant of the subject upon which he
was writing. | noticed on Yam
kee" Sullivan's tombstone the
inscription that he had died
at the hands of the Vigilance
Committee. That he died violent
death in the rooms of the committee
is certain; but there has always been
mystery as to the particulars. l
know that the current belief at the
time was that he had the delirium
tremens while there, and that one OF
the guards, during paroxysm OF vlo-
lence on the part of the crazy prisoner,
struck him in the arm with sabre,
severing an artery, and that he bled
to death before surgical aid was sum
moned. The community was divided
at the time, and a great many good
citizens were opposed to the Vigilance
Committee, believing that the law. if
enforced as it could have been, was
strong enough to protect the city from
the desperate characters who deiied
it. Crime escaped punishment be-
cause good citizens shirked jury duty,
and left that duty, as they do now, to
a class of men who cared nothing for
Justice. Ii the newspapers of to-day
are to be believed, there is just as
much need now for a Vigilance Com
mittee as there was in 1856.
THE ALMsHoUsE.
A few days ago | visited the aims
house of this city. 1t is situated south
of Golden Gate Park, in the midst of a
tier of hills which shelter it from the
coast winds. This is one OF the nota-
BILE institutions of the State. The Su-
perintendent, Mr.. M. J. Keating,
has been at the head of it for seven
teen wears, and his proficiency as a
manager, his indefatigable energy and
undoubted integrity have brought the
almshouse into prominence as one OF
the best managed institutions in the
country. The average number of in
mates is 600. These embrace all
classes of people suffering from all
kinds of Affections that render poor
humanity an object of pity and COM
miseration. The helpless aged, the
chronic paralytic, the halt, lame and
blind, the idiotic, the wrecks of dissi-
pation-every class of broken-down
humanity is here, and of both sexes
and of all ages. The grounds are ex-
pansive the building IN all its apart
ments is a model of neatness and
cleanliness. Connected with the in
stitution are some two hundred acres
of land, which is well farmed, and the
expenses of the place are brought
down to the minimum by the returns
from the fields, from the stock raised
and from the labor of those who are
able to work in the dairy and in the
feeding stables and piggeries. The
State contributes about $50, 900 year
toward the support of this institution.
In talking with Mr.. Keating learned
that many men who were once lead
ing citizens of the metropolis have
wound up in their careers in this in
stitution. A few years ago man who
was at one time at the head of the
great banking and express house
of Adams q Co., and counted
his wealth by the million, was brought
there total wreck. He fingered but
short time, and now fills a pauper's
grave. A few weeks ago another
man, whose name is historically iden
titled with this city, and was one o.
its early Alcaldes, also breathed his
last in this institution. l remember
him when he was "the glass of fash
ion and the mould of form" of this
| fair city-when bow from him was
considered an honor, and familiar
shake of the hand condescension
A reception, a soiree dansante or q
banquet without him would have beer
| like meat without salt. Yet .'to this
complexion did he come at last" He
told me of many other brilliant careers
that ended ignobly in this institution
lawyers, litteratau s, ,merchants--meI
who had shone in society and in SEN
ates, who had been at the head Of
great mercantile houses, who hat
been successful miners, who had held
high positions as artists, and ever
clergymen of repute-all of whom
from manifold causes, had lost theil
grip, got lower and lower in the socia
scale, and finally wound up theil
checkered lives in this institution
"Alas, we know what we are to-day
but who can tell what we shall be to
morrow ?"
The fast and beautiful Yacht Aggit
was bought here recently by D. Nc
Farland, for $4,000, and he sailed OF
her for San Pedro Friday. Commo
dore Con. O'Connor, in speaking tC
me about her, said: "You people
have got a splendid yacht-as good as
we had in our feet-staunch, com
Portable and fast sailer-and you got
her for nothing, sir-for nothing!"